Battousai!
by NaughtyGurl1986
Summary: I wrote this one with a very close friend of mine. It takes place after Friends are Forever, and Engaged. Yae discovers Kenshin's dark secret, and fears for the lives of her friends.
1. Chapter1

Chapter 1  
  
Yae, Saiyuri, and Kaoru walked through the streets of Osaka, gossiping and giggling.   
  
"That Megumi… there's something strange about her…like the way she always hangs around Kenshin, calling him 'Sir Ken'! It's soo annoying!" Kaoru said with a scowl. Yae and Saiyuri exchanged looks of understanding, and smiled impishly.  
  
"Ya-know Kaoru, The way you ramble on about Kenshin…One could only assume that are infatuated with him." Saiyuri said grinning. Yae began to giggle hysterically.  
  
"He likes you too Kaoru!" Yae said clapping her hands together.   
  
"What!? No! I-I just know that Kenshin doesn't like it! It doesn't bother me! He's just lets her do that because he is so polite! Someone's gotta stand up for the man." Kaoru said as she flushed bright red. Wanting to change the subject Kaoru pointed out a cute little boutique.  
  
"Oh-I've always wanted to shop in a boutique!" Kaoru exclaimed as she ushered Yae and Saiyuri towards the stores entrance.   
  
"No you haven't, you're just trying to change the subject!" Saiyuri exclaimed as she let Kaoru lead her towards the small store. The women walked past a group of five young men talking in hushed voices. "Yae, aren't you gonna come in?" Saiyuri asked as she turned to face her friend.  
  
"Uhhh…no I think I'll wait out here and look through the window…." Yae mumbled as she walked past the young men.  
  
"Okay…suit yourself…" Kaoru replied as she and Saiyuri walked through the door. Yae inched closer to the group of men.  
  
"I heard he killed over a thousand men during the revolution!" one of the men exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement.  
  
…Who are they talking about?… Yae thought as she tired to listen nonchalantly.  
  
"I heard that the Batousai is actually living in Tokyo, at some run down dojo!"  
  
…The Batousai!! In Tokyo?!… Yae gasped. All the men stopped looked over at her. Yae quickly looked to the store window, trying not to blush.  
  
"Yeah…I even heard that he is going by the name of…what was it?… I think his new name was Kenshin, Kenshin Himura… Yeah that was it…" Yae didn't hear the rest of the sentence. …Are they serious? Kenshin is the Batousai?! He seems like such a nice guy… Yae thought to herself frantically. Kaoru and Saiyuri walked out of the store with their arms full of knickknacks.  
  
"I'm just saying, Megumi needs to leave Kenshin alone, before I take matters into my own hands!" Kaoru said fiercely. Saiyuri rolled her eyes and smiled at Yae.  
  
"This was all she had been talking about in there…" Saiyuri murmured as she pointed back to the store. "Yae, what's wrong?" Saiyuri asked as she looked at the worried expression on Yae's face.  
  
"Huh? Oh…nothing, I was uh… just uhh…thinking about …something…" Yae said detachedly. Yae was quiet the whole way home. Saiyuri walked in silence pretending to listen to Kaoru's chatter, but was actually thinking of what could be bothering Yae.   
  
…What could have upset Yae so much??… Saiyuri thought to herself with a frown…. What the… did that bush just move?… Saiyuri stared hard at the bush …Hmm… maybe it was just my imagination…no…there it goes again… Saiyuri put her hand over Kaoru's mouth and pointed to the bushes silently. Kaoru nodded her head in understanding, and the three of them stood in silence.   
  
…Oh no! It's the Batousai! He knows that I know and now he is coming to kill us all in order to keep his secret!… Yae thought as she looked around franticly.  
  
"Here's what we will do." Saiyuri whispered "we keep walking towards the bush, then when we are about ten feet away from it, we make a run for the dojo. Okay?" Saiyuri looked at the bush again and took a deep breath. …Here goes nothing… The three girls walked slowly towards the moving bush, making sure not to make a sound. "One, two," Saiyuri whispered "three!" All three girls sprinted past the bush. A white and yellow blur raced after them and grabbed all three girls by the back of their kimonos.   
  
Yae screamed in terror. "I won't tell anyone, please don't kill us! I promise I won't tell any one your secret!"  
  
"What secret?" two familiar voices asked. Yae turned around to see Sano and Yahiko looking at her with confusion.  
  
"Sano!" Saiyuri yelled. "What are you doing hiding in the bushes?!" she said as she slapped him on the arm.   
  
"Yeah, why?" Kaoru asked as she shoved Yahiko roughly.  
  
"We just wanted to see what you would do," Sano answered innocently as he rubbed his arm, "and see if you three would be able to fend for yourselves. Kaoru talks so loud we could hear you guys coming from a mile away, and since Yae always looks at her feet when she walks, you would have fallen right into our trap! If it wasn't for Saiyuri you two would have been gonners." Sano said pointing at Yae and Kaoru.  
  
"Yae, what were you talking about when you said you promised you wouldn't tell our 'secret'?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"What?! Oh…no one…I-I…nothing…" Yae said as she blushed. Sano arched his eyebrow and looked at Saiyuri for an explanation. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut short.  
  
"Don't talk to me, ya big jerk!" Saiyuri said sternly "You're just lucky I don't have my sais with me, otherwise you'd have another hole in your stomach."  
  
"No way! The most you could have done was given me a scratch." Sano said defensively  
  
"Yeah, like how all you got was a little "scratch" from that guy in the bar last week!" Saiyuri said dryly.  
  
"Umm… you guys I think we should start heading home, it's starting to get dark…" Kaoru said as she took Yae's arm and started towards the dojo. Yahiko stayed behind to listen to the quarrel….This is getting interesting!… The boy thought with a grin.  
  
"Hey now! The guy was hittin' on you, was I just supposed to let him be all touchy feely with you?" Sano asked. Saiyuri rolled her eyes.  
  
"Sano! The guy was twice your size, and he probably weighed five times more than you did!" Saiyuri said curtly.  
  
"Yeah, but now he won't go bothering random women, now will he?" Sano said as he put his arms around Saiyuri's waist.  
  
"Yeah, and you won't go picking fights you know you can't win!" Saiyuri smiled.  
  
"Sano got beat up?!" Yahiko asked in amazement. Sano and Saiyuri turned around to find the boy grinning from ear to ear. "Just wait till I tell everyone!"  
  
"Not so fast…" Sano said as he grabbed Yahiko by the neck, "I didn't get beat up, I just got hurt…a little." Saiyuri giggled, as she tried to keep a straight face.  
  
"Okay Sano…whatever you say…" Yahiko said as he slipped out of Sano's grasp and raced after Kaoru and Yae.  
  
"Why'd you have to bring that up?" Sano mumbled.   
  
Saiyuri burst into peals of laughter. "Because it was so funny, and cute! Come on, we had better catch up to everyone else." Saiyuri said as she took Sano's hand and walked home. 


	2. Chapter2

Chapter 2  
  
It was the middle of the night and Yae lay silently on her futon staring at the ceiling…I have to know….She sat up quickly and looked over at Saiyuri's sleeping form. She quietly crawled to Saiyuri's futon, and reached slowly underneath it. Saiyuri stirred in her sleep and mumbled something about Sano. Yae smiled as she slowly pulled out the two gleaming sais…Saiyuri would get in trouble if Sano found out that she still had these….He made her promise to get rid of them, he said something about how she didn't need them because he would protect her…Yae rolled her eyes. Sano always tried to act tough when anybody was around, but when he was alone with Saiyuri he could be so sweet to the point that it made Yae feel butterflies in her own stomach. Yae smiled as she stood to leave. She slid their kami screen shut without a sound and walked quietly down the hall to Kenshin's room. She slid Kenshin's door open gently and walked in, remembering to close the door behind her…I have to know if he is the Batousai…If he is the Batousai, he'll wake up and stop me…  
  
Kenshin opened one eye and saw Yae moving stealthily towards him. He noticed that she was holding Saiyuri's sais…What is she doing?…He pretended to still be asleep so that he wouldn't scare her, but he couldn't help smiling at the way she incorrectly held the sais…Weapons are unusual for her that they are…Yae crept even closer, her feet were covered with socks and made no noise slid silently across the floor…She's a lot shorter without her sandals on…Kenshin noted with a smile, but still pretended he was asleep.   
  
Yae hesitated as she came nearer to Kenshin's sleeping form…What if he is the Batousai!… She thought as she rubbed her sais for comfort…I'll just pretend like I'm going to kill him…and if he doesn't wake up then I'll just leave the room…he'll never know… Yae reassured herself, and took another step towards Kenshin's futon, a floor board squeaked under her foot and she closed her eyes in terror. She heard Kenshin stir, but after a second it was silent. Yae opened one eye cautiously, and gasped when she saw Kenshin wasn't in bed…Oh My God!!!…Yae closed her eyes as she turned around slowly…don't be behind me…don't be behind me… she pleaded to herself as she slowly opened her eyes. Kenshin was leaning against the door with his arms crossed. Yae flinched , and dropped her sais in surprise, they hit to the floor with two metallic clinks and lay gleaming in the moon light. Yae glanced around the room nervously looking for a way to escape, but the only exit was being blocked by Kenshin.   
  
Kenshin looked down at the two sais that laid on the floor and frowned.  
  
"I thought I told you not to play with Saiyuri's sais ever again, Yae-chan." Kenshin said in a condescending tone. Yae looked at the ground uncomfortably and shuffled her feet.   
  
"I…uh…" Yae began as tears welled up in her eyes.   
  
"uh-huh…" Kenshin said sarcastically, waiting for Yae to continue. Yae looked up at Kenshin desperately, trying to think of a way to get out of this whole situation…I just wanna be back in my bed…What would Saiyuri do?… Yae always thought that Saiyuri could get out of anything when they were in trouble…all she would do was argue and act angry...maybe if I act like that he'll let me go… Yae clenched her fists and tried to think of something mean to say.   
  
"You can't tell me what to do! I'm not a child!" She barked at Kenshin in her coldest voice. Kenshin uncrossed his arms and stared at Yae in shock.  
  
"Yae-chan! What's wrong with you!?" He said in a surprised tone. Yae felt bad but decide that the only way she was going to get out was to keep acting like Saiyuri. Yae gave Kenshin the 'I'm gonna beat you into a bloody pulp look' that she always got from Saiyuri.  
  
"I told you not to treat me like a child!" She hissed, and bent down to pick up Saiyuri's sais and placed them in her obi. Kenshin's mouth dropped open, and he took a more defensive stance to block the door. Yae noticed this and felt herself start to panic, she inhaled deeply and took a few menacing steps towards the door. She stopped a few feet short of Kenshin and put her hands on the hilts of Saiyuri's sais, and glared at him angrily.   
  
"I recommend that you step away from the door, b-before I get any angrier." Yae said in a low wavering voice…did she just stutter?…Kenshin thought to him self confused, but stepped aside to avoid any conflict with the girl. Yae seemed very relived when Kenshin moved aside, she sighed and walked quickly out of the room. Kenshin watched her pass, still confused, he'd never heard such harsh words come from little Yae's mouth…Saiyuri on the other hand…Wait! Last week Saiyuri and Sano had that argument over the sais…She practically quoted Saiyuri…what did Saiyuri say?… "Don't tell me what to do Sanosuke Sagara!" "You can't tell me what to do! I'm not a child!"…Kenshin smiled…Yae was just trying to get out of trouble by acting like Saiyuri, That's why she was stuttering, and was so relived when I moved… He shook his head and looked down the hall. Yae had already gone to bed…I shouldn't have moved…what was that girl up to?… He could barely keep himself from laughing, now that he thought about it, she was a lousy actress. Kenshin yawned and shut his door, then went back to sleep. 


	3. Chapter3

Chapter 3  
  
Kaoru, Kenshin, Yahiko, Sano, and Saiyuri all sat around the breakfast table chatting and drinking miso soup.  
  
"So then I was like 'Are you callin' me a cheater?' and the guy was like five…I mean seven feet tall, so then he was like 'yeah, I am' so then I jumped over the table and kicked him in the face so hard that he was knocked unconscious." Sano finished. Kaoru and Saiyuri scoffed and continued on with their own conversation.  
  
"Oh, Saiyuri, when are you two gonna get married?" Kaoru said excitedly.  
  
"Um…I don't know. I still wanna wait for a little while…" Saiyuri looked over at Sano who was giving Yahiko another questionable bar fight story. Saiyuri frowned and turned back to Kaoru "Maybe when he's older…" she said with a grin. Both girls broke out into hysterics. Kenshin looked over at the empty spot next to Saiyuri and frowned.  
  
"Where's Yae?" Kenshin asked the girls.  
  
"Oh, she's still sleeping, I don't think she got much sleep last night…" Saiyuri shrugged.  
  
"I think I will go and check on her, that I will." Kenshin said as he stood to leave. He walked swiftly down the hall and stopped right outside Yae's door. He slid the door open silently and closed it quickly behind him. Yae lay sleeping on her futon, wrapped in a soft quilt. Kenshin smiled as he walked over to her bed. He sat next to her pillow and waited for her to awake. Yae rolled over in her sleep and mumbled something about the Batousai…is that what last night was about?… Kenshin thought. Yae's eyes fluttered open and She made eye-contact with Kenshin.   
  
"Oh my God!" Yae exclaimed as she tried to jump out of bed but was caught by her quilt and tumbled over onto his lap.  
  
"Good morning Yae-chan!" Kenshin beamed at her, she pulled herself out of his lap and rolled over still trying to free herself of her quilt. Kenshin smiled and tried to keep himself from laughing as he watched Yae struggle with her quilt like a lunatic in a straight-jacket.   
  
"Aa…" She kept moaning as she worked franticly to free herself of her quilt. She managed to stand up but tripped when she tried to move over the quilt that was wrapped around her legs. She kicked the quilt off and made a dash to Saiyuri's futon. Kenshin stared at her with a amused look on his face.  
  
"W-What are y-you doing in here?" Yae managed to say, her heart felt like it was beating a million miles an hour. She knelt down and placed her hand on Saiyuri's futon, ready to grab the sais if need be. Kenshin stood slowly and walked towards Yae.  
  
"Is something the matter Yae-chan?" He asked in a gentle voice, Yae looked up at him terrified.  
  
"Is that where Saiyuri keeps her sais?" He asked in the same gentle voice. Yae slid her hand under Saiyuri's futon and grabbed onto one of the cold metal sais.   
  
"N-Nothings wrong, Kenshin." Yae said as she looked at the floor…please don't come any closer… She thought as she shut her eyes tightly and brought out a sai.  
  
"Why are you so afraid then?" His voice was coming nearer, and Yae fell back and thrust the sai out in front of her. She opened her eyes, Kenshin wasn't there she was pointing her sai at the air…he's behind me again…she thought terrified, Yae jumped forward and turned around ready to defend herself. Kenshin looked down at her…she's still holding the sai wrong…he thought with a smile. Yae took a few steps back waving the sai at him as she made her way to the door.  
  
"J-just stay over there…." Yae half pleaded half demanded as she continued to walk backwards to the bedroom door. Her foot slipped on the soft quilt she had kicked onto the floor and she fell backwards landing on the cold hard floor.  
  
"Ow….." Yae moaned and sat up…stupid quilt… she thought to herself as she stood to leave again. Kenshin was still standing where she left him, looking at her surprised. She turned to the door and sprinted, she fumbled while trying to slide it open, when she finally got it she ran down the hall, and into the kitchen still holding the sai.   
  
"Yae!?" Saiyuri exclaimed, Yae was a mess, she was wearing her cotton sleeping robe, and her hair was all around her shoulders. Sano and Yahiko looked at her in alarm.  
  
"What's wrong Yae?" Yahiko asked as he stood ready to fight. Yae looked around the room desperately…If I tell them, The Batousai will kill them also!…She thought to her self panicked and fell to her knees next to Saiyuri.  
  
"Nothings wrong…" She mumbled and put the sai on the table, and tried to calm her self down. Sano gave Yae a confused look, and then looked down at the glistening item on the table.   
  
"Uh…Isn't that your sai Saiyuri?" Sano asked condescendingly. Saiyuri looked down at the item in question and shut her eyes.   
  
"Um…How did that get here? I threw it away. Yae! Did you go take it out of the trash? Sai's are dangerous! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Saiyuri said in her most adult-like voice. Yae looked up at Saiyuri with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Sai? I-I found them.." Yae began stuttering, scared she was in trouble. Saiyuri looked at the girl alarmed, and cut her off.  
  
"Its okay Yae, I forgive you." Saiyuri said kindly and gave Yae a pat on the head.  
  
"But Saiyuri!…" Yae began again, Saiyuri squeezed her leg and looked at her anxiously.   
  
"Ohhhh!" Yae said when she finally understood. "I get it! Yes….yes I found them in the trash can." Yae said eagerly. Sano rolled his eyes, and looked down at Yae.  
  
"Yae, are you lying?" Sano asked trying not to smile. Yae fidgeted and looked at Sano.  
  
"Umm…no?" Yae said then looked at Saiyuri who was urging her on.   
  
"I f-found them in the t-trash can." Yae said meekly and looked at the table. Sano smiled and looked down at the girl.  
  
"Do you know what happens to liars where I come from?" Sano asked trying not to laugh. Yae looked up at him grimly and shook her head.  
  
"No…." She mumbled. Saiyuri scoffed and looked at Sano angrily.   
  
"Well, um… If you find out some one lied to you, you cut off their tongue." Sano said decidedly, and watched the girl for her reaction. Yae winced, and shook her head trying not to cry.  
  
"But…I'm not lying." Yae's voice wavered and she wiped at her eyes with her sleeve.  
  
"Good girl." Saiyuri said happily, then looked over at Sano.  
  
"Don't worry Yae, he's just making it up." Yae looked up at Sano hopefully, but he was staring at her and grimly and shaking his head.   
  
"Why don't you go get dressed?" Saiyuri said kindly and escorted Yae out of the kitchen. She put her sai in Yae's hand and looked over her shoulder.  
  
"Go throw this away Yae." Saiyuri said, and winked at Yae.  
  
"Ohhh! Okay!" Yae said and smiled. Saiyuri closed the door to the kitchen and sighed, before returning to her spot.   
  
Yae trotted down the hall carrying Saiyuri's sai, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Kenshin emerge from her room and walk towards her up the hall. Kenshin smiled and kept walking, Yae jumped sideways and hugged the wall as the Batousai came nearer. She brought Saiyuri's sai to her chest with trembling hands and waited for him to pass her…or try to kill her. Kenshin walked past with out so much as a 'Hi!', and headed for the kitchen. Yae fell against the wall and sighed…I'm safe…for now… She thought to herself and crawled to her door. She slid it open and tumbled into the other side. She saw the cursed quilt that tried to detain her earlier that day and jumped to her feet and smiled devilishly.   
  
"What ho? A foe?" She said smiling as she gathered the quilt up in a ball, and tossed it into the air.  
  
"Take this! Batousai's minion!" She yelled and pointed the sai in the air, waiting for the blanket to come back down. The blanket fluttered to the ground and landed on the sai, making a tent around Yae.   
  
"Haha! You have been slain, you minion of evil!" She said with a grin and tossed the quilt aside.   
  
"Yae! Hurry up we're going into town!" Yae heard Saiyuri call. She pulled the quilt off of her and dropped the sai under Saiyuri's quilt before getting dressed. 


End file.
